Similar to the other recent thread on magical realism, I have a question about retellings. I have an idea of a modern retelling of a lesser known work of a very famous author, but that material is all now public domain. As of now, I'm unsure if the story will end up at short story length or longer- it's just a kernel. I don't see anything in the rules about retellings, specifically, but in the anthology I read, and the other published stories I have read, I haven't encountered any retellings. Any thoughts on this?

RSchibler wrote:Similar to the other recent thread on magical realism, I have a question about retellings. I have an idea of a modern retelling of a lesser known work of a very famous author, but that material is all now public domain. As of now, I'm unsure if the story will end up at short story length or longer- it's just a kernel. I don't see anything in the rules about retellings, specifically, but in the anthology I read, and the other published stories I have read, I haven't encountered any retellings. Any thoughts on this?

They probably happen a lot, but if you do it right (using the original story as a springboard for your own voice and making the story yours), it could work. I think the key to doing well in the contest is to make your story good while also standing out from the crowd.

If a person offend you, and you are in doubt as to whether it was intentional or not, do not resort to extreme measures; simply watch your chance and hit him with a brick. ~ Mark Twain2015, Q4: R2016: SF, n/a, SHM, SHM2017: SHM, n/a, F, R

I think it's a question of degree. To some extent a lot of stories share an archetype and are "retellings" of the core hero's journey for example. But when the details and voice and execution are unique, it totally works.

It's when the retellings lacks the unique element to set it apart that there are issues (cough*avatar*cough).

I'd speculate that just about every story is really a retelling of some kind or another. After all, just how many really *new* ideas are there? Think how many vampire stories and ghost stories and elf/goblin/dragon stories there are -- aren't they all really based on the same premise? Yet they're all unique in some way, otherwise it would be plagiarism! lol

Take an old trope or concept or theme and give it a fresh twist somehow...that's what we do!

morganb wrote:I'd speculate that just about every story is really a retelling of some kind or another. After all, just how many really *new* ideas are there? Think how many vampire stories and ghost stories and elf/goblin/dragon stories there are -- aren't they all really based on the same premise? Yet they're all unique in some way, otherwise it would be plagiarism! lol

Take an old trope or concept or theme and give it a fresh twist somehow...that's what we do!

~Morgan

This is an explicit retelling, as in taking the character and the plot and telling it from a modern perspective with a few twists. I'll write it regardless, but I'm curious how it might be received by DF. I guess there's only one way to be sure!

I think, to be honest, the market was flooded with retellings for a while and they've become a bit... passé. Which is not to say it can't be done, but that it needs to be more than simply retelling it with a modern setting or from another character's perspective; it works best when combined with something else, twisted into a new form, with identifiable references but fundamentally its own thing. Something, ideally, that as a reader I won't get bored by halfway because I know exactly where it's going!

MattDovey wrote:I think, to be honest, the market was flooded with retellings for a while and they've become a bit... passé. Which is not to say it can't be done, but that it needs to be more than simply retelling it with a modern setting or from another character's perspective; it works best when combined with something else, twisted into a new form, with identifiable references but fundamentally its own thing. Something, ideally, that as a reader I won't get bored by halfway because I know exactly where it's going!

Thanks. I think that's a good insight, with the success of Wicked and Cinder. It's far down my composition list, so maybe as it percolates to the top I can think of a way to combine it with another concept or just use it as a springboard for a different story.